Scene 11: A prayer for the recently departed

[Gottfried] [to Lithaniel] Are you done? There is no other way out, we’ll have to go back the way we came from.

[Lithaniel] [straightening up, sighing] Okay, okay, I’m done. [walking up to Gottfried] Okay, let’s go, I’m afraid to touch any weapon here anyway, [pointing to a dead dwarf] lest I end up like this one.

[At this point, Yorri’s spirit rises from his body. Its translucent ethereal form is exactly the same as its still warm corpse. Seeing this, Gottfried freezes in terror and grips his staff tighter. Lithaniel, however, does not appear to be disturbed by the sight of the ghost.]

[Lithaniel] [to Gottfried] I know this should cause fear and stuff, but after what we went through in this Castle, seriously, it was to be expected. [pointing at Yorri’s Ghost] Got something to banish him?

[Yorri’s Ghost] [wailing slightly] Hey! Banish yourself, jerk [surprised with his own voice] Hey, why am I talking in echoes?!

[Lithaniel] Maybe there are distortions from the underworld? [after a while] So what, you’re not going to attack us?

[Yorri’s Ghost] [surprised by the question] I don’t know … should I?

[Lithaniel] Well, you should know, huh?

[Yorri’s Ghost] [irritated] Well how should I?! I didn’t get any instructions and there was no HES training yet.

[Lithaniel] “HSE”?

[Gottfried] [calming himself down and adjusting the glasses on his nose] “Health and Ethereal Safety.” [to Yorri’s spirit] Then, since you don’t seem prejudiced against us in principle, why don’t you please help us?

[Yorri’s Ghost flies to one of the swords on the wall stand and tries to pick it up, but it passes through his ethereal hand.]

[Gottfried] No, not like that. I understand that you can penetrate walls and other objects? You could be our scout and warn us of the dangers lurking in the next chambers we aim to explore.

[Lithaniel] Hey! That’s a good idea. See what’s in the adjoining chambers. We will know where not to go so as not to get tired before meeting Drachenfels.

[Yorri’s Ghost] [hesitating] Hm, all right, I can try.

[The etheric dwarf flies to one wall and slowly puts his hand to it. He then cautiously reaches out further. Yorri’s Ghost’s hand does in fact penetrate the wall.]

[Yorri’s Ghost] Hey, it works! Brr … but what  a cold and unpleasant feeling this is.

[Lithaniel] Don’t whine, you’re a ghost, not a banshee. Get in that wall.

[The dwarf disappears into the wall. He returns quickly, however. He seems paler than before.]

[Ghost of Yorri] [with eyes bulging] No. You certainly don’t want to go there.

[Lithaniel] Hey, what’s there that will scare even a ghost?

[Yorri’s Ghost] [shaking his head] Don’t ask.

[Gottfried] Okay, that’s also an information of sort. Let’s try with the other wall, then.

[Yorri’s Ghost reluctantly flies to the wall on the other side of the chamber. He hesitates for a moment, then quickly disappears through the wall. There is silence. Nothing happens for a long while. The elf and the human look worriedly at each other.]

[Lithaniel] Hey, why isn’t he coming back?

[Gottfried] [uncertainly] I hope that…

[Suddenly the head of Yorri’s Ghost emerges from the wall, but it feels like something is holding the rest of his ethereal existence on the other side and refusing to let go.]

[Yorri’s Ghost] [with a shrill scream] Aaa !!! Help! Murder!

[Lithaniel] [raising an eyebrow to Gottfried] Hey, that’s not technically possible, is it?

[Gottfried] [thoughtfully] Well …

[Yorri’s Ghost] [still screaming] Help, you assholes! No time to chit-chat!

[Lithaniel] What are we supposed to do? Throw you an ethereal rope or what?

[At this point, Gottfried mumbles a magic formula and stands as if he is actually holding an invisible rope in his hands.]

[Gottfried] [to Lithaniel] Some help?

[Lithaniel] [surprised] Er … sure.

[The elf stands behind the human and grabs him with both hands, helping the mage pull. They struggle for a moment, then Yorri bursts into the room, but the force of the momentum causes him to fly over Gottfried and Lithaniel, who just fell to the floor, and disappeared into another wall of the room. However, he quickly returns screaming and terrified.]

[Yorri’s Ghost] [gasping ethereally] Enough! I’m not going anywhere else! This Castle is crazy! My advice, stay here and starve. That’s the safest solution!

[Lithaniel] [getting up from the floor] Okay, since you turned out to be completely useless once again, [walking towards the exit door] bye. Have a nice eternity and stuff.

[Yorri’s Ghost] Hey! You can’t leave me here!

[Lithaniel] [pausing] What are we supposed to do? We’re not gonna be hanging around with some scaredy-ghost.

[Yorri’s Ghost] Hey, watch out or I’ll …

[Lithaniel] [aggressively] Or you’ll what? Gonna punch me with an immaterial fist? I’m sorry, but I only risk a runny nose fighting you if anything.

[Yorri’s Ghost] [to Gottfried, desperately] Gottie, come on, don’t leave me here like that. Think of something, will ya?

[Gottfried] Hm … I don’t know, maybe we should try to pray?

[Lithaniel] Oh no! No more goblins in jackets and snotlig feces!

[Gottfried] [shaking his head] No, not like that. The usual way. Let’s pray to the god of death, Morr. At best, we might be able to pray Yorri’s spirit back into his body, and if not, at least Morr might be able to free him from this Castle so he doesn’t have to haunt it forever.

[Yorri’s Ghost] Hey, that’s not a bad idea.

[Lithaniel] [rolling his eyes] Fine … Just be quick [to Gottfried] and don’t use any mana for it. We’ll need it for further skirmishes.

[All three stand around Yorri’s body … or rather two stand and Yorri’s spirit levitates.]

[Lithaniel] [hesitating] Now what, we hold our hands or what?

[Gottfried] Don’t be silly. [inclining his head, in a serious voice] Protect us, Lord, from the undead; Let the evil magic lose its powers; Let all darkness be repelled by your power, Let the nights be still, calm. Let them not steal souls from your gardens; Protect us, O Lord, old and young; To You, Morr, we pray.

[There is a pause, nothing happens for a long moment. The gathered look at each other.]

[Lithaniel] So? Someone felt something? Because I didn’t …

[Gottfried] I don’t feel anything …

[Yorri’s Ghost] Neither do I.

[Suddenly, the eyes of Yorri’s corpse glisten with a greenish light. The dwarf’s corpse, to the horror of all the others, stands up and immediately moves towards the wall to the axe which had previously killed it.]

[Gottfried] [terrified] By Sigmar!

[Lithaniel] [to Gottfried] Yeah, good job, but instead Morr, I think you’ve reached Nagash. And don’t call upon Sigmar, because it is scary to think who will answer. [pointing to zombie-Yorri] Burn it.

[Yorri’s Ghost] No! Don’t burn it! If you burn it, it will surely be the end of me!

[Lithaniel] Aren’t you supposed to seek death and stuff as a Troll Slayer? Well, you’ve found it and now what? Had a change of heart?

[Yorri’s Ghost] This is not a heroic death, you tree-climber, and don’t pretend to be an expert on dwarven culture. Get out of here, I’ll distract him. Kill Drachenfels. Maybe defeating him and dispersing the devilish magic of this Castle will help me somehow.

[The elf leaves the room without saying a word.]

[Gottfried] [uncertainly] I don’t know … Lithaniel, what do you think about … [looking around] Lithaniel?

[Lithaniel] [from outside the door] Great plan! Flawless. I’m already one step ahead.

[Gottfried] But …

[At this point, however, the human must avoid being slashed by the zombie-Yorri’s axe. The mage runs away through the door. Yorri’s spirit flies in front of the face of its zombie incarnation. The undead chases after the ghost.]

[Yorri’s Ghost] [escaping the blows of the magic axe] Hey! But, you’ll come back for me, right?!

[Lithaniel] [from afar] Absolutely! I’m almost back as we speak!

[The ghost sighs heavily and continues to run.]